Rock and Roll (part 1?)

I'm hoping I get a few more pictures from the race this weekend to post...but in the meantime: I ran a half marathon this weekend! My third! And I ran it 50 minutes faster than I did last year (and about 60 pounds lighter!) I had a fantastic weekend, one of the best in recent memory. More to come, with more pics (I have to apologize for my lackluster blogging, allergies have bogged me down today).



The start line (50 minutes after the starting gun went off!)
6:00 am doesn't look good on us.

Just the two of us... and 26,998 fellow runners.

Tracy and I got photo bombed at Roller Derby...

Pearl digging in during a hard fought bought against the Silicon Valley dot Kamikaze's.

Pearl coming around turn 4...

Photo roundup

I'm Nook Smart

Isn't she lovely? Isn't' she wonderful?

I received a incredible gift today: A Nook. And it only took me an hour to get it registered (my learning curve is questionable sometimes). But now I'm off and running with it, and I'm loving every minute. Maybe soon I'll even being reading with it.

Here's what I've got loaded on it so far (besides what was preloaded on it from Barnes & Noble):

*The Handmaids Tale (my book club book choice for this month)

*The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest (yippee!! I love this series, it's really a shame that Steig Larsson had to go and die on us)

*uncharted terriTORI (my guilty pleasure)

*Shit My Dad Says (from the chapter titles and the introduction, this should be a fantastic read)

I even got this super Kate Spade nook cover (because they were out of the only other cover that I liked. That one was reasonably priced, but not a smidge as cute).

"She kept her nose in a book"
"And her head in the clouds"

My 2nd Grader

Brady made some police lights for his bike. To patrol the neighborhood, perhaps?

When he commits to a theme, he really commits.

Cheers!

Pickin' some dirt out of his ear... because boys get dirt there, too.

Picking him up to have some one-on-one time, a rare treat.

My mom said "just wait, the next time you turn around he'll be graduating high school." I believe her.

I had two terrific days with B, which are rare treats, but it just was a good reminder of the sweet boy inside instead of the smartmouthed, hot tempered, pain in the ass I normally encounter. And when he's good? Oh... he's like a slice of heaven. I want to cry just thinking about it.

I worked extra hours earlier in the week just so I could get off a few hours early on Brady's last day of school. I picked him up and we headed out for a bike ride and a pitstop at Morrie's where we got milkshakes and split an order of fries. We talked about all the fun he had his last day as a first grader and what he hopes we do this summer. We stopped at a park on the way home and played tag and hide-and-seek and raced home. It was a spectacular afternoon.

Race For The Cure

Team Save 2nd Base (aka Team TRG): Jennifer and her hubby, Terri, Brittney, Kat and her hubby, ME, and Kristen.
We all took booby-reference names. I was the Raisin Smuggler. Please ignore my unsightly back-rack induced by my sports bra...

Big CHEESE as I honored my Aunt Mary's memory and my Aunt Jane's victory.

The Seahawks drum line "Blue Thunder" was at the finish line for the runners. They were very entertaining.

Because it's no fun to just stand there...

Pearl Haggard taught me this derby pose:

Finished. Wet and cold and proud.

Dick's is the place where the cool hang out... so good. I haven't had Dick's since Tracy and I were suffering a major hangover after hotlaps. It was like medicine.

Results to follow when they post on the website :)

Let the Weekend begin

The week ended on a high note, with Brady's (and Natalie's come September!) school BBQ. I had Erin's kids for the evening (it was interesting picking up 4 children from 4 different locations after work) so the BBQ was my saving grace: dinner and entertainment in a child friendly environment. We had a great time, it was awesome to see so many faces that I used to see so regularly when I wasn't working 40 hours a week.

The week began lousy, I had a whole day off to myself on Memorial day and what did I do? I woke up with a migraine. So that was fun.

Wednesday was the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics. It was only a 2 mile section of the relay that I was to run. I thought "no sweat" since that is something I run that or more several times a week. But I've never run it with a Nationally ranked 15-time finisher Ironman Triathlete!!! And certainly not surrounded my police cars from all over the county with their lights flashing and stopping traffic!! And certainly not while carrying a 15 pound torch! Tracy apparently has photos, and I must look so pathetic that she is sparing me from witnessing them, but that was easily the hardest 2 miles I've ever run. I take that back. The last 2 miles of the Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon were the hardest I'd ever run, but they won't be this year ;) So the Torch Run was the fastest 2 miles I've ever run. And probably Steve Wade's slowest!

"Is this thing occupied?" The kids thoroughly enjoyed the TP Toss.
Picking through the loot after the games.

Me:"I will buy you cotton candy if you let me take a cute picture before you eat it." I think I got scammed.

"Ashi do it"

Aunt Tracy giving Brady a lesson in how we used to roll in the olden days. When not every kid on the street had at least one bike.

Natalie likes to crash so I can rescue her. An excuse for hugs and kisses if you ask me.

Brady called and asked Tracy to dinner, she couldn't resist his invitation :)